Courts/Rulings & Lawsuits | | |
Appellate court ruling in Sonoma County dispute could have statewide implications for law enforcement oversight
A California appellate court ruling last week that the Sonoma County’s Sheriff’s Office must comply with subpoenas issued as part of whistleblower investigations by the county’s civilian law enforcement watchdog has reopened vexing questions about the reach of local oversight. Foremost among those is whether it will put to rest legal wrangling over voter-approved oversight of the Sheriff’s Office.
The Press Democrat
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Ninth Circuit says injunction against DHS targeting journalists at protests needs a trim
A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday found the preliminary injunction a Los Angeles judge issued last year prohibiting U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents’ use of excessive and indiscriminate forces against journalists covering immigration-enforcement protests was too broad. The three-judge panel agreed that the press organizations, individual journalists and legal observers were entitled to an injunction.
Courthouse News Service
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Group files suit to preserve LA County criminal justice reform measure
An advocacy group filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a judicial declaration that voters’ approval of a Los Angeles County charter overhaul measure in 2024 did not inadvertently repeal a previous ballot item that required the county to annually set aside money for jail-diversion and other social service programs.
City News Service
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Conviction in Paul Pelosi attack stands despite initial ‘clear’ sentencing error
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday affirmed the 30-year prison sentence and conviction of the man who attacked the husband of then-Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi inside the couple’s San Francisco home, saying that a District Court judge committed “clear error” by failing to provide an opportunity for the defendant to speak at sentencing but that the mistake was properly rectified by reopening and resentencing him.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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Justices flash back to 1776 to resolve Twitter-era obstruction probe
The Supreme Court seemed concerned Monday that the federal government’s obstruction charge against a former Twitter employee rested on a theory the founders did away with in 1776. “You’re trying to defend this particular conviction, and I understand that,” Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, told the government.
Courthouse News Service
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California ordered to pay $4.5M in attorneys’ fees after losing gender secrecy case
A federal court ordered the state of California Monday to pay $4.52 million in attorneys’ fees as a result of a landmark Supreme Court case that challenged California school policies which let students transition their genders without informing parents. The U.S. District Court of the Southern District of California granted the fee to be paid to attorneys at Thomas More Society, a conservative public-interest law firm, which represented plaintiffs in Mirabelli v. Bonta.
California Post
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Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments
Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointment of 15 Superior Court Judges: one in Alameda County, two in Contra Costa County, one in Kern County, one in Kings County, three in Los Angeles County, one in Madera County, one in Placer County, one in San Bernardino County, one in San Francisco County, one in San Mateo County, one in Santa Barbara County, and one in Ventura County.
Governor Gavin Newsom News Release
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Court orders California sheriff to release personnel records in watchdog investigation
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office must comply with subpoenas issued by the county’s civilian oversight board as part of a whistleblower investigation into alleged misconduct, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. The First Appellate Court of California tossed out the sheriff’s office’s legal justification for refusing to turn over personnel records requested by the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach, or IOLERO, in 2024.
KQED
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Judge denies records request in LASD retaliation suit by Villanueva supporter
A Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied an effort by a Los Angeles County sheriff’s lieutenant to immediately obtain personnel records from Sheriff Robert Luna and other top county and department officials in a retaliation lawsuit that claims Luna’s administration targeted supporters of former Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Westside Current
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Supreme Court rules against Colorado's ban on conversion therapy aimed at LGBTQ youth
In a blow to LGBTQ rights, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy aimed at youths struggling with their sexual orientation or gender identity violates the free speech rights of a conservative Christian therapist. The 8-1 decision in favor of therapist Kaley Chiles on her claim brought under the Constitution's First Amendment is likely to have national implications - more than 20 states have similar laws.
NBC News
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Judge issuing DVRO exceeded bounds
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge went overboard in crafting a stay-away order to an abusive husband by including broad protections for the couple’s three teenage sons without ascertaining their wishes, the Court of Appeal for this district has held, also saying that the two family dogs and three chickens should not have been shielded from prospective harm absent any evidence of mistreatment of them by the respondent.
Metropolitan News-Enterprise
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8 arrested in health care fraud takedown, including owners of hospices that billed taxpayers millions of dollars to serve the ‘dying’
In coordination with the Vice President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, eight defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a purported psychologist, have been arrested on federal charges that they schemed to defraud the nation’s health care system out of more than $50 million - including by running sham hospice care facilities that bilked Medicare by using people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, the Justice Department announced today.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release
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Gabriel Fernandez's mother again denied resentencing in 8-year-old's torture death
A Los Angeles judge on Monday denied a bid for re-sentencing by a Palmdale woman who pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of her 8-year-old son -who was routinely beaten, starved, forced to sleep in a closet and tortured until his death nearly 13 years ago.
City News Service
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Phillips 66 reaches deferred prosecution deal tied to refinery environmental compliance issues
Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPA’s) are being employed by prosecutors across the country to obtain corrective actions from corporations that have allegedly violated laws associated with complex environmental issues. In fact, Phillips 66 recently settled a DPA related to allegations made under the Clean Water Act regarding violations of that statute at their Carson, California, refinery.
Energies Media
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Damning five-word text LAUSD staffer sent - as she’s charged in $39M scandal
The Los Angeles School District IT employee accused of siphoning millions from the district and getting huge kickbacks in return sent incriminating text messages that could put her behind bars for years. A text chain between LAUSD staffer Hong “Grace” Peng and Gautham Sampath obtained by the California Post reveals damning evidence, according to prosecutors.
California Post
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Former state hospital police chief, officer charged in felony timecard fraud scheme
A former Metropolitan State Hospital Police chief and one of his officers have been charged with felony grand theft, accused of submitting fraudulent timecards to divert public funds for private gain. “We will prove this was a coordinated, deliberate scheme between a police chief and his officer to take taxpayer money for work that was never done,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.
L.A. County District Attorney’s Office News Release
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Former SF human rights commissioner, nonprofit executive director arrested, DA Jenkins says
Former San Francisco human rights commissioner Sheryl Davis and former executive director James Spingola were arrested and charged on Monday on allegations of financial conflict of interest with city contracts, and ethical violations. Davis was charged with 17 felonies and two misdemeanors in connection with a financial conflict of interest in city contracts worth more than $8.5 million, according to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
ABC7
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Marine corporal accused of stealing and selling weapons from California's Camp Pendleton
A U.S. Marine who was an ammunition specialist at California's Camp Pendleton is charged with stealing ammo and weapons, including a shoulder-fired missile system, and conspiring to sell them in Arizona, according to court documents. Cpl. Andrew Paul Amarillas pleaded not guilty last Thursday in Phoenix to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit theft and embezzlement of government property, and possession and sale of stolen ammunition.
Associated Press
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Trump blasts LA homeless agency’s ‘abysmal record’ in plan to slash nearly $400M in federal funds
The Trump administration plans to slash nearly $400 million in federal funding for homeless programs while taking aim at Los Angeles’ under-fire homeless-services agency for its “abysmal record.” The White House’s budget proposal, released Friday, said that the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has failed in its job to house homeless people. “LAHSA has an abysmal record of reducing what is the highest number of street homeless individuals in the United States, and an independent audit issued in March 2025 found that the authority failed to accurately track billions of Federal and local dollars,” the proposal stated.
California Post
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LA probation unions demand state audit following report on potential false claims in $4B settlement
In response to new reporting by the Los Angeles Times raising concerns about potential false claims tied to Los Angeles County’s $4 billion sexual abuse settlement, the unions representing rank-and-file and supervisory probation officers today called for immediate state intervention. AFSCME Local 685 and Teamsters Local 986 jointly sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and legislative leaders demanding a full forensic audit and oversight hearings into how the unprecedented settlement was approved.
AFSCME Local 685
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Rally calls for LA County Men's Central Jail to close 6 years after supervisors' vote passed
Protesters rallied outside the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' Office on Monday, calling for the Men's Central Jail to be shut down. Six years ago, the supervisors voted to close the jail - which has been notorious for unsanitary conditions, overcrowding and in-custody deaths. However, the closure process has been slow and marked by numerous setbacks.
ABC7
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Newsom administration won't say how much Kamala Harris' CHP security detail is costing California taxpayers
As Kamala Harris uses California Highway Patrol officers as her security detail, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration will not release records or provide information on how much it's costing taxpayers. As KCRA 3 first reported in February, dozens of CHP officers have been assigned to Kamala Harris and her international book tour.
KCRA
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Sacramento County sheriff launches initiative to reform California's Prop 57 amid controversial predator parole cases
Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper announced a new ballot initiative Wednesday aimed at reforming Proposition 57, a 2016 measure intended to reduce California’s prison population. During a press conference, Cooper said the initiative comes in response to recent cases involving convicted sexually violent predators being considered for release under California’s elderly parole laws.
ABC10
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LA social media addiction verdict set to unleash more lawsuits - and force changes
Two of America’s largest tech companies suffered stunning defeats in court this week, sustaining early jolts in what could prove to be a seismic shift in how social media operates amid a new landscape of legal risk. Meta and Google both vowed to appeal verdicts that were handed down by civil juries in Los Angeles County and Santa Fe, N.M., brushing off the losses as a bit of bad luck.
Los Angeles Times
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Copper wire thefts disrupt transit across California; new bill aims to tackle crime
Theft of copper wire from transit tracks has become a growing issue for counties across California, leading to service disruptions and thousands of dollars in damage, as new legislation looks to prevent the crime. In Sacramento, the regional transit agency said it experienced nearly 50 instances of copper-wire theft or vandalism, with each case costing $10,000 to $20,000 in damages and labor costs.
ABC10
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City Hall officially reopens measure ULA debate with new committee vote
Los Angeles officials on Friday took the next formal step toward reopening the fight over Measure ULA, advancing three motions to study whether the voter-approved transfer tax is slowing new apartment construction or properly funding homelessness prevention and affordable housing. The votes came during the first meeting of a new City Council ad hoc committee created earlier this month to review possible changes to the 2022 measure, also known as United to House Los Angeles.
Westside Current
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Judge challenges California bid to withhold students’ gender identity in suspected abuse cases
Attorneys for the state of California asked a federal judge Monday to allow teachers to withhold LGBTQ students’ preferred gender identities from their parents if they suspect child abuse. However, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez maintained his conviction that parental rights trumped any obligation the state may have to students in public schools.
Courthouse News Service
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Senate breaks off a piece of KitKat heist to promote retail theft bill
An eye-popping candy heist in Europe resulting in the loss of a dozen tons of KitKat products formed a sweet springboard for Senate lawmakers pushing a bill they said would give retailers a break from organized theft rings. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday shined a light on committee chairman Chuck Grassley’s measure, following news of the pilfered KitKat candy which has been a viral sensation on social media since parent company Nestlé acknowledged the theft over the weekend.
Courthouse News Service
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LASD deputy suffers fatal medical emergency while running law enforcement relay race
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy died after suffering a medical emergency during the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, the department announced early Sunday. Levi Vargas, a 30-year-old San Dimas sheriff’s deputy, was among numerous law enforcement personnel representing their agencies at the annual footrace when the medical emergency occurred, the department wrote in a statement on X.
Los Angeles Times
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Grenade deaths of L.A. County deputies involved 'willful' safety violations, state finds
A state investigation into how three Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb squad detectives were killed by a grenade in a department parking lot has found a series of "willful" safety violations, including failure to provide effective training and explosives that were left unattended leading up to the incident last year.
Los Angeles Times
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Walk it back: Pustilnikov, Crescent Heights projects approved in Beverly Hills after past denials
Beverly Hills officials were forced to reverse their high-profile rejections of builder’s remedy projects. The Beverly Hills City Council voted this week to overturn a prior denial, granting an appeal from developer Crescent Heights and approving the firm’s planned 26-story residential tower at 8844 Burton Way, Urbanize Los Angeles reported.
The Real Deal
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LAPD commission overrules chief’s finding in shooting at Weezer bassist’s ex
For the second time in recent months, the civilian commission that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department has overruled Chief Jim McDonnell in a police shooting, concluding that officers were in the wrong when they shot at Jillian Lauren, an author and the estranged wife of Weezer bass player Scott Shriner.
Los Angeles Times
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LAHSA's federal funding at risk after homelessness agency blows audit deadline
The Los Angeles region’s homelessness agency will miss a Tuesday deadline for submitting its federally required annual audit of the agency’s financial records, which could jeopardize its federal funding. LAHSA executives blamed the delay on a “perfect storm” of leadership changes and competing priorities within LAHSA’s finance department, including an L.A. County review of LAHSA’s delayed payments to contractors.
LAist
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'A nightmare': Tow truck scam leaves SoCal woman paying thousands to get her car back
A woman involved in a crash thought she was getting help from a friendly tow truck driver - but it may have all been a trap. Police say it's a common tactic on roads in Southern California. The tow truck driver was pretending to have been dispatched by police, but it turned out to be a ruse. Brittany Williams says she felt afraid after getting into a car crash. Within minutes a tow truck driver approached her and offered help.
ABC7
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Westlake post office parking lot overrun by homeless encampment
A homeless encampment has overtaken a post office parking lot in the Westlake District, prompting neighbors to demand action from city leaders. The homeless encampment got some attention on social media this week after a woman highlighted its size, saying the tents have gotten out of control. The encampment surrounds a post office on West 7th Street. Tents are packed in an alleyway and occupy parking spaces intended for the post office.
ABC7
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RivCo man accused of stealing over $10K worth of Legos sets, other merch
A 36-year-old man suspected of stealing roughly $10,000 worth of Lego sets and other merchandise from local retail stores in Hemet was behind bars today. Hugo Omar Sanchez-Sanchez was booked Wednesday on suspicion of possession of stolen property and organized retail theft, according to the Hemet Police Department. Bail information was not immediately available.
City News Service
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Ex-Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham attacked by woman in Santa Monica
Guitarist and vocalist Lindsey Buckingham, a former member of the storied rock band Fleetwood Mac, was attacked by a woman when he showed up for an appointment in Santa Monica, multiple law enforcement sources tell NBC4 Investigates. When Buckingham entered the building, the woman described by authorities as a stalking suspect threw an unknown substance at the two-time Grammy winner and took off.
NBC4
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Federal officers assaulted after Downtown LA rally; at least two injured
The Los Angeles Police Department is expected Sunday to announce the number of people arrested after protesters threw chunks of concrete at federal officers in downtown Los Angeles after thousands gathered nearby for a "No Kings" day demonstration. At least two people suspected of assaulting officers Saturday were arrested, federal officials told CBS2. They also told the station at least two officers were hit by concrete chunks and required medical care.
City News Service
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Speeders beware: 125 traffic cameras are coming to L.A., along with hefty fines. Here's where they are
By the end of the summer, 125 speed cameras will be installed on dozens of streets throughout Los Angeles, specifically on roads that are in school zones, are known street-racing corridors or where speeding has resulted in a high rate of traffic accidents. On Tuesday, Los Angeles became the latest city to gain approval from its leaders to install the cameras throughout the city's 15 districts, from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro.
Los Angeles Times
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LA claims it’s handled massive RV homeless encampment - neighbors are furious
The city of Los Angeles claims it cleaned up a huge homeless encampment at a park near Balboa Sports Center, but nothing was really done about the countless RVs, neighbors have complained. Earlier in March, Mayor Karen Bass touted an operation to “restore” the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, a future venue for the 2028 LA Olympics, in a coordinated effort between the Los Angeles Fire Department, nonprofits, and others.
California Post
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House GOP subpoenas California official over refusal to drop EV mandate
A powerful House panel took the extraordinary step of subpoenaing a California official, claiming her agency had refused to hand over relevant records during a seven-month investigation into the state’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate, according a letter obtained by The Post. The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued the subpoena to California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez on Monday, demanding communications and documents regarding regulations that Golden State officials said would transition away from gas-powered vehicles by 2035.
California Post
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Big change for California small businesses: No more SBA loans for non-citizens
Green-card holders no longer qualify for loans from the Small Business Administration, eliminating a longtime source of financing for immigrants that advocates say will discourage job creation and harm the economy. The SBA limited access to its loans to U.S. citizens and nationals only starting in March, and expanded that policy to SBA-backed loans beginning in April. On top of that, any business that's even partly owned by a permanent legal resident with a green card is no longer eligible for the loans.
CalMatters & Associated Press
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Pay up, you’re in trouble: Attorney General Bonta warns Californians of court notice scams
California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert, warning Californians to beware of a scam involving fake court notices that demand payment from recipients. These notices, often received via text or email, state that there is an outstanding traffic or toll violation and instruct recipients to pay a fine or appear in court or face other penalties. These notices are scams.
Rob Bonta, Attorney General Press Release
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California agrees to $1.9 million settlement in prison use-of-force case
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit filed by 13 women who say correctional officers injured them during a mass use-of-force incident at the Central California Women’s Facility in 2024. The plaintiffs say they suffered seizures, respiratory distress and long-term vision problems after officers used batons, physical force and chemical agents on them.
KQED
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3 FBI agents fired after investigating Trump file class action suit alleging 'retribution campaign’
Three fired FBI agents sued on Tuesday to try to get their jobs back, saying in a class action lawsuit that they were illegally punished for their participation in an investigation into President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The federal lawsuit adds to the mounting list of court challenges to a personnel purge by FBI Director Kash Patel that over the last year has resulted in the ousters of dozens of agents, either because of their involvement in investigations related to Trump or because they were perceived as insufficiently loyal to the Republican president’s agenda.
Associated Press
| | Convictions/Pleas/Sentences/Parole | | |
LA man gets probation for `simple assault’ at protest
A Los Angeles man who pleaded guilty to an assault charge involving a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer during an anti-immigration enforcement protest last summer in Paramount will be spending one year on probation. Christian Damian Cerna-Camacho, 29, pleaded guilty in December in downtown Los Angeles to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, according to court papers.
MyNewsLA
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Vegas performer hits Taylor Swift with trademark suit over 'Life of a Showgirl’
A Las Vegas singer, TV host and columnist sued Taylor Swift on Monday, claiming that the megastar’s 2025 “The Life of a Showgirl” album infringes her “Confessions of a Showgirl” trademark. Maren Wade, who sued under her given name Maren Flagg, says in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court that she started using “Confessions of a Showgirl” in 2014 for a column in the Las Vegas Weekly about her life as a performer. She got a trademark for the name in 2015.
Courthouse News Service
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The people Trump pardoned are on a crime spree
The Constitution grants sweeping pardon powers to the president, which means that public opinion has historically been the only check on that power. The risk of a backlash is the reason that presidents have waited until their last days in office to issue many pardons and commutations, especially dubious ones to family members (like Hunter Biden) or political allies (like Caspar W. Weinberger, whom George H.W. Bush pardoned).
New York Times
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Ninth Circuit rejects FOIA request, upholds grand jury secrecy in white collar case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently ruled that Exemption 3 of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) bars disclosure of documents that the federal government possesses because of a grand jury subpoena. While the case involved a FOIA request to the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the decision is significant for any organization that produces documents in response to a federal grand jury subpoena.
Legal Opinion Letters
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